The Death Maze
by KandiLips
Summary: "So, what will it be, Miss. Tennyson? Will you risk your life to save your little boyfriend, or will you let him die?" Aggregor smirked.  Gwen snarled at his cruelty, and stepped forward. "I'll do anything it takes to save Kevin." **DARK-FANFIC** Rated T


_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_**Okay, I just had to go and write a multi-chapter fic based on my own, little "alternate ending" to how Kevin could change back to normal from his current mutation. It's actually pretty… intense. You'll know what I mean once you read it. I don't want to spoil TOO much, but let's just say that Gwen ends up facing enough near-death obstacles and traps to keep you at the edge of your seat for a decent amount of time. 'Kay, without further ado: the fanfic. Hope this satisfies!**_

_**STANDARD DISCLAIMER:**_

_**I certainly do not own Ben 10. Heck, I don't even own a decent pair of socks, let alone a TV show.**_

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Author's POV:

The confounded, jade-gazed girl awoke to the sudden, alarming crackle of lightning in the distance. And she knew instantaneously that she was no longer safely in her bedroom; covered by her warm blankets of protection. In fact, she wasn't in her home at all.

The endless, cold, blackened rock that had been uncomfortably cradling her body for however many hours she had been lying there jolted her body with a cruel, stinging sensation that felt like a thousand little needles piercing right through her fragile skin.

Shuddering as she endured the ruthless blasts of icy, nocturnal wind inflicted unto her susceptible form, Gwen drew herself to her feet; her eyes surveying the endless horizon. Nothing but an eternal void of glowing, moonlit mist dancing across the rough, ebony, platform of stone that served dutifully as her walkway.

Cupping a single hand to one ear, the anodite listened carefully for sounds of life.

Nothing. She really was truthfully alone, with no one to keep her company but the stars. But what was she even doing here? How had she gotten here in the first place? Had she been brought here by someone?

Her mind contemplated this, and thought over the possibilities. What if someone she knew had brought her here? Someone who wanted to hurt her, wanted her dead. Someone like…

_Kevin_.

The pained red-head shook her mane of fire viciously, as to aid her in erasing the agonizing memories. But she knew it would never help in the least.

Kevin's absence from the team had been like daggers to her soul, and she couldn't ever bear the inconceivable thought that he would actually want to harm her.

But it was true. She just had to accept the fact that Kevin wasn't Kevin anymore- he was an insane monster.

Gwen shivered at the harsh word, and her eyes welled with tears, as they had been doing so quite a lot recently.

Kevin… her poor Kevin…

The red-head shook her head once more. She had to forget him right now; there'd be time to think of him later. Now what she had to do was to find out where she was, and how to get out of there as quickly as she could, for she hadn't any idea what menacing threats could be lurking in the shadows of the barren, rocky land.

And it was then and only then that a bewildered Gwen began to hear something: a distant, mysterious voice that seemed to echo faintly as it spoke; and the stunned girl couldn't quite grasp a sense of what it was saying.

"Hello?" She called out shrilly, her voice ringing with the same, eerie echo.

No response.

The girl's heart beat raced at the speed of light and threatened to implode as she heard something she really hoped that she wouldn't.

_Footsteps_. And Gwen could tell that they were quickly approaching her, and they were very close.

Trembling now, the frightened teen whipped her head around swiftly; air-born scarlet hair falling back down again to her shoulders in a wild, torrent of red. Gwen waited, silent, for the figure to emerge from the veil of surrounding darkness.

And the russet-haired girl nearly screamed out in horror as a vicious, wrathful Aggregor stepped out into the moonlight, his face agleam with a villainous grin. And Gwen could clearly see that he had somehow obtained a new form, much like Kevin's.

Gasping, Gwen took several staggering steps back, her head spinning. How had Aggregor gotten out of prison? What was he doing here? And most importantly, how had he become ultimate again?

"Aggregor." Gwen snarled with hatred, the fury flowing through her veins. He was the reason why Kevin was the way he was, the reason why he had turned evil. "What do you want?"

Aggregor smiled menacingly, sending shivers tumbling down Gwen's spine. "I want to make a deal with you, Gwen Tennyson." The wicked man chuckled darkly as he stared coldly down at the terrified red-head. "Make it through the death maze," Aggregor began, his expression dangerous. "And in return, I'll give you what you've been direly searching for."

There's nothing you have that I want." The scarlet-haired girl spat fiercely.

"You're wrong." The hostile creature smiled cruelly. "Because I have Kevin Levin. And I will kill him if you refuse." Aggregor promised with a sick, twisted expression.

"Kevin…" Gwen murmured in a whisper, her shocked, emerald eyes shimmering with tears and widening immensely. " WHAT did you do to him?" She suddenly roared with rage.

The villainous alien laughed and took a few steps forward to corner Gwen so that she was standing directly between him and a towering wall of night-shaded, obsidian rock. "Don't worry, your little boyfriend is safe. I even cured him, if you will." Aggregor's black eyes shrieked with mockery and dark amusement.

The scarlet-haired anodite gasped. "_You_ cured Kevin?"

"I absorbed all of his powers, so yes, I did cure Kevin." He laughed horrifyingly. "So, what will it be, Miss. Tennyson? Will you risk your life to save your little boyfriend, or will you let him die?" Aggregor smirked.

Gwen snarled at his cruelty, and stepped forward. "I'll do _anything _it takes to save Kevin." She spoke ferociously, her eyes smoldering with pure, fiery rage. "We have a deal."

"Good." Aggregor chuckled malevolently. "Oh, and I forgot to mention; if you fail to make it through the death maze, you will have to give up your powers as payment."

The anodite's breathing hindered. Give up her powers to Aggregor? Even a fool knew that that would end in catastrophe for the world, even the entire universe. Her powers were too strong. But, she had no other choice; she needed desperately to save Kevin…

"And that's why I won't fail." Gwen glowered savagely, staring angrily back up into the evil man's eyes.

"Let's hope you don't." Aggregor snarled with a horrifying grin. "Levin's life depends on it." He paused for a moment. "Now, just to make things fair, why don't I hold onto those powers of yours for the time being, hmm? I wouldn't want you to be cheating with them when you're in the maze." To Gwen's terror, the malevolent creature outstretched his arm to touch hers, and he grasped it firmly. "This may hurt a bit." Aggregor laughed cruelly with a vicious smile before agonizingly sucking away Gwen's powers, and causing her to buckle over in excruciating pain.

The red-head fell in a dazed blur to the freezing, black stone; her consciousness lost.

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_**AUTHOR'S NOTE ENDING:**_

_**Cliff hanger! Okay, my hopes are to update this again sometime later this week, I don't know when. And in the next chapter, Gwen will be sure to face the death maze. So, what is the death maze? I don't really know, I just made it up- it's some maze filled with traps and treacherous, life-threatening obstacles that Gwen has to make her way through to get to Kevin, who is now fully healed. So, will she save him? Dunno, stick around to find out! God, I sound like some overly-dramatic TV show. Anyways, please review down below if you liked the story so far, It'll make me very happy! 'Kay, see you guys soon! **_


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